And he had been right.
"You are still alive and working for the organization."
"Unfortunately, I am not. I believe that a death certificate was issued after the warehouse event. So, Agent Vincent has been dead for the past ten months. Hence, I am not an employee any longer."
"We also have record that you took some classes, Agent Vincent."
This is what they feared most, I realized. Another important influence. I had taught the new recruits, and it meant that I had somehow grown close to them. That was not the case, but it was fun watching them squirm.
"That is where you are wrong. I took approximately fifteen classes with a group of recruits that needed my help. I put the fear of death in their hearts and showed them that they meant nothing in this world." I could see the surprise and the shock on their faces.
"So, you were involved with them?"
"They had no clue who I was until recently. And I was just helping out my fiancé train a few hooligans. I had no monetary of extra-curricular gain from the interaction."
"That is not even the topic we should be discussing," said one old, plump man. He was flabbergasted by how calm everyone seemed. I gave him a wink before I spoke back to him, taunting him to say something wrong.
"And what would that be?"
He clenched his fists at his side and then leaned forward to scream at me.
"You killed Billy Hunt three hours ago, and here you sit without any signs of fear or guilt." I shook with laughter.
"Your jokes never cease to make me laugh, kind sir. Please don't play dumb. You are more than glad that I stepped in when I did and killed the man before one of you had to taint your reputation and do it yourselves. You know very well that he was planning to get rid of all of you. You are a greedy lot, it would be impossible to coexist with a man who was not planning to share."
"You dare call us names?"
"I know who you are. Remove those masks and tell me what you really want."
"I am impressed that a girl of your age could come up with such a concrete plan," a younger man said, sounding impressed.
"It had always been my job to be the best at what I did. I have worked undercover for too long. People are visual creatures who are easily fooled. A slight change in the style of body posture can turn you into a stranger in anyone's eyes." I shrugged as if it had been nothing. I had been planning for the moment for a month now.
"How did you enter the premises without identification?" Another man asked.
"You forget that I am Jacob Hunt's lover. I was simply here to meet my soon-to-be father in law. He is dead, but I did meet him."
"We could remove him from this organization for your actions." I laughed.
"You could try, but I must warn you. He is the heir. No one wants to see the organization in the hand of a band of old men who have no clue how to manage such a big entity."
"That is where you are wrong, Mia."
"Marie," I corrected automatically.
"Listen to me carefully, girl. You are new to this game. Killing everyone who comes in your path will do no good. You need to think with your head."
"So, you realize that what I have been saying is true and that you won't stand a chance if Jacob sides with me and decides to remove all of you."
He ground his teeth together, frustrated that I had transformed the meaning of his words.
Ah, but therein lies the ambiguity of language.
"Billy Hunt planned on killing me while I was in a coma in the hospital. I just killed him. I know the plans that all of you had for me... how are you sure that I will not make you suffer through them, yourselves?"
Fear.
That is what beauty looked like.
"Are you threatening us?"
"If that is how you want to look at the simple question, then yes. I am threatening your existence."
"What if Agent Hunt doesn't side with you?" one asked, acting smug.
"He will. He already has."
"What do you mean?" I kept my mouth shut.
He promised that he would destroy anyone that wanted to hurt me. I know he meant it.
"You should run before we have to end up digging more graves than we anticipated."
"You will be dealt with," I heard one of them sneer. I snickered and waited for them to run away, scared.
"I will look forward to it," I said, accepting the open challenge. I promised to take my revenge slowly and painfully.
They scattered like rats as I produced the knife and went back to cleaning it.